Price not surprised by Reds hot streak

While pleased with the Reds' recent success, Bryan Price is not surprised(Photo: The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger)

The injury-plagued Reds have stunned even some of their most ardent fans by being just 1 ½ games behind, entering Saturday. Just a week ago, the Reds were seven games behind in the NL Central.

Surprised, Bryan Price?

"No," the Reds manager said before Saturday night's Reds-Pirates game. "We talked a lot early in the year that it's a 162-game season. The Dodgers, whatever they went, 42-8 in one stretch (last year). You certainly don't want to put yourself in a position where you have to go 42-8 to get back into playoff contention."

"All these things that happen, year after year in baseball, should remind us that you can't predict anything," Price said said. "You can't predict that if you're 10 games out in the middle of August that you can't still win the division. There's too many teams that have found a way back into the postseason."

40 AND COUNTING: Aroldis Chapman on Friday recorded at least one strikeout for the 40th consecutive appearance, the longest such streak in MLB history by a reliever since 1900.

Chapman had been tied with Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter (June 1-Oct. 2, 1977) at 39 consecutive games with a strikeout.

With Friday being the fourth consecutive game in which Chapman appeared, was the Reds closer due for a rest Saturday night?

"I have no desire to tip my hand there," Price said. "He has pitched a lot, but I'd rather not say anything about his availability before the game."

Former Reds manager Dusty Baker occasionally would say certain relievers would not be available for a given game, if they had worked extensively in previous days. Price prefers to not discuss who is available and who is not.

BREAK TIME: With the Reds having multiple injuries (Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips et al.), Price agreed that the All-Star break is coming at a good time.

"We've got some longer-term injuries and some short-term injuries, and the short-term injuries I don't think we'd be able to weather without the All-Star break," Price said.

Pitchers Homer Bailey (knee) and Mat Latos (back) are among the short-termers.

"It's hard to know if Mat would have been able to make his next start, or Homer," Price said. "We probably would have had to make some very, very difficult decisions."

Price expects both Bailey and Latos to be able to make their next starts after the All-Star break.

K-9: Reds rookie Carlos Contreras struck out the side on nine pitches in the seventh inning Friday night, becoming only the 72nd MLB pitcher in history to do that.

LOVE THE GAME: Price on Friday's stirring 6-5 comeback win, in which the Reds trailed 5-1 in the seventh inning:

"If that was your first baseball game as a fan, you've got to be hooked. Now you're addicted. You're hoping to get another one of those and you may chase it the rest of your life, trying to see another game like that. It was just so exciting."

REHAB STINT: Infielder Jack Hannahan (shoulder), entering Saturday, was two games into a rehab stint at Class A Dayton. He started both games at designated hitter (2-for-6, .333, double, RBI), then did not play in the next two games.

SHORT HOPS: The Reds entered Saturday with a 17-13 record in Votto's absence, including 6-1 beginning July 6.

-Mike Leake entered Saturday night's start with 62 career hits, the most by any MLB pitcher since Leake's debut in 2010.

-Johnny Cueto's 2.03 ERA is the third lowest among qualified Reds pitchers before the All-Star break. Gary Nolan had a 1.81 ERA in 1972 and Jim O'Toole was at 2.02 in 1963.